assignment plural name

In more general, commonly used, contexts, the plural form will also be .

However, in more specific contexts, the plural form can also be e.g. in reference to various types of or a collection of .

• 1.1 Etymology
• 1.2 Pronunciation
• 1.3.1 Hyponyms
• 1.3.2 Derived terms
• 1.3.3 Translations
• 1.4 References
• 2.1 Alternative forms
• 2.2 Etymology
• 2.3 Pronunciation
• 2.4.1 Synonyms
• 2.5 References

From Middle English assignement , from Old French assignement .

Pronunciation

• IPA ( key ) : /əˈsaɪnmənt/

Hyphenation: a‧ssign‧ment

• Rhymes: -aɪnmənt

assignment ( countable and uncountable , plural assignments )

• The act of assigning ; the allocation of a job or a set of tasks . This flow chart represents the assignment of tasks in our committee.
• ( LGBT ) The categorization of persons as belonging to the male or female sex .
• An assigned task . The assignment the department gave him proved to be quite challenging.
• A position to which someone is assigned. Unbeknownst to Mr Smith, his new assignment was in fact a demotion.
• ( education ) A task given to students, such as homework or coursework . Mrs Smith gave out our assignments , and said we had to finish them by Monday.
• ( law ) A transfer of a right or benefit from one person to another. The assignment of the lease has not been finalised yet.
• ( law ) A document that effects this transfer. Once you receive the assignment in the post, be sure to sign it and send it back as soon as possible.
• ( programming ) An operation that assigns a value to a variable .
• ( programming ) : augmented assignment

Derived terms

• antiassignment
• assignment operator
• frequency assignment
• misassignment
• nonassignment
• Procrustean assignment
• reassignment
• time-assignment speech interpolation
• unassignment
• understand the assignment

Alternative forms

• asm ( pseudo-acronym )

From English assignment .

• Cantonese ( Jyutping ) : aa 6 saai 1 man 4
• Jyutping : aa 6 saai 1 man 4
• Yale : ah s ā ai màhn
• Cantonese Pinyin : aa 6 saai 1 man 4
• Guangdong Romanization : a 6 sai 1 men 4
• Sinological IPA ( key ) : /aː²² saːi̯ ⁵⁵ mɐn ²¹ /
• ( Hong Kong Cantonese ) assignment ; homework ; coursework ( Classifier : 份 c )

• Bauer, Robert S. ( 2021 ) ABC Cantonese-English Comprehensive Dictionary , Honolulu: University of Hawai'i Press, →ISBN , page 10
• English Loanwords in Hong Kong Cantonese

• English terms inherited from Middle English
• English terms derived from Middle English
• English terms derived from Old French
• English 3-syllable words
• English terms with IPA pronunciation
• English terms with audio links
• Rhymes:English/aɪnmənt
• Rhymes:English/aɪnmənt/3 syllables
• English lemmas
• English nouns
• English uncountable nouns
• English countable nouns
• English terms with usage examples
• en:Education
• en:Programming
• en:Directives
• Cantonese terms borrowed from English
• Cantonese terms derived from English
• Chinese lemmas
• Cantonese lemmas
• Chinese nouns
• Cantonese nouns
• Chinese terms with IPA pronunciation
• Chinese terms written in foreign scripts
• Hong Kong Cantonese
• Chinese nouns classified by 份
• English entries with topic categories using raw markup
• English entries with language name categories using raw markup
• Pages with 2 entries
• Mandarin terms with redundant transliterations
• Terms with Mandarin translations
• Terms with Danish translations
• Terms with Dutch translations
• Terms with Finnish translations
• Terms with French translations
• Terms with German translations
• Terms with Portuguese translations
• Terms with Russian translations
• Terms with Spanish translations
• Terms with Swedish translations
• Terms with Polish translations
• Requests for translations into Spanish
• Terms with Azerbaijani translations
• Terms with Belarusian translations
• Terms with Bulgarian translations
• Terms with Hebrew translations
• Terms with Norwegian Bokmål translations
• Terms with Ukrainian translations
• Terms with Indonesian translations
• Japanese terms with redundant script codes
• Terms with Japanese translations
• Terms with Korean translations
• Terms with Malay translations
• Terms with Tagalog translations
• Terms with Breton translations
• Requests for translations into Mandarin
• Terms with Italian translations
• Terms with Welsh translations
• Terms with Czech translations
• Terms with Esperanto translations
• Requests for review of Bulgarian translations
• Requests for review of German translations

Navigation menu

• Britannica Homepage
• Ask the Editor
• Word of the Day
• Core Vocabulary
• Most Popular
• Browse the Dictionary
• My Saved Words
• assignment (noun)
• My assignment was to clean the equipment. = They gave me the assignment of cleaning the equipment.
• The students were given a homework assignment .
• The reporter's assignment is to interview the candidate.
• The reporter is here on an assignment .
• The reporter is here on assignment .
• The article discusses the recent assignment of senators to some of the more powerful committees.
• her assignment to the embassy in India
• the computer's assignment of a number to each image
• the assignment of blame/responsibility
• the assignment of property
• She asked if she could change her seating assignment .

• About Us & Legal Info
• Partner Program
• Privacy Notice
• Terms of Use
• Pronunciation Symbols

Plural Nouns – Rules, List of Examples

| Candace Osmond

Candace Osmond

Candace Osmond studied Advanced Writing & Editing Essentials at MHC. She’s been an International and USA TODAY Bestselling Author for over a decade. And she’s worked as an Editor for several mid-sized publications. Candace has a keen eye for content editing and a high degree of expertise in Fiction.

The English language groups grammatical nouns as either singular or plural. That means there are either one or multiple persons, places, objects, events, or animals.

Did you know that there’s more than one rule on how to make a word plural? In my little guide, I’ll show you the two types of plural nouns, their rules, and a list of examples. I also provided a worksheet that will test your understanding of plural nouns.

What Is a Plural Noun?

While singular-form nouns refer to one person, place, object, or event, plural nouns refer to a type of noun whose quantity is more than one.

For instance, the noun apples is the plural form of the singular noun apple . It means there can be two or more apples. The same is true with the noun buses, which is the plural form of the singular noun bus. The plural form of the singular noun bug is the noun bugs.

I live in Eastern Canada, and one of our well-known animals is a moose. I am always puzzled over what the plural of it is. Mooses? Meese? The answer is actually just moose. There are some exceptions to plural nouns like this.

But here are more plural noun examples that make sense.

• Film – films
• Baby – babies
• Ox – oxen

Remember: mass nouns , non-count nouns, or uncountable nouns do not have plural forms. For example:

Plural Nouns vs. Singular Nouns

Singular nouns represent a single quantity of any noun. It can be a person, place, event, object, or animal. For example:

• A strand of hair

Plural nouns refer to something whose quantity is more than one. For example:

• Five dresses
• Two strands of hair
• Those daisies

Plural Nouns vs. Possessive Nouns

Possessive nouns are one of the types of nouns that show ownership. Like plural nouns, they end in s. However, possessive nouns always have an apostrophe ( ‘ ) before the s. Consider this example:

• The lamp’s bulb.

Here, lamp’s refer to the possession of lamp instead of multiple lamps. The lamp has a bulb.

Here are more examples of possessive nouns.

• Rose’s artwork
• Mira’s phone
• The lion’s tail

Plural nouns do not have possessive forms unless they are possessive plural nouns. For example:

• Jackets’ pockets (possessive plural noun)
• Students’ books (possessive plural noun)

Plural Nouns vs. Collective Nouns

Unlike plural nouns, collective nouns represent groups of people, things, or animals. For instance, a school of fish represents a group of fish as a united whole. Here are more examples of collective nouns.

• A pair (of shoes)
• A pack (of cards)
• A pride (of lions)
• A class (of students)

Notice how these collective nouns are treated as singular nouns. If we say pairs of shoes, we refer to more than a pair.

What Is a Regular Plural Noun?

Regular nouns are nouns that follow the typical pattern of making them plural.

There are simple rules for making regular nouns plural. We either add -s or -es to the end of the word, depending on its ending. Sometimes, we also change the last letter of the word before adding -s.

Add -s to the end of a word when making it plural. For example:

• Cat – cats
• Dog – dogs
• Idea – ideas

Add -es to the end of a word if its singular form ends in -s, -ss, -ch, -x, -sh, -o, or -z. For example:

• Bus – buses
• Lass – lasses
• Bush – bushes
• Crutch – crutches
• Box – boxes
• Blitz – blitzes
• Mango – mangoes

A few words, such as photos , pianos , and halos , are exceptions .

The plural noun form may require you to double the -s or -z before adding -es. For example:

• Fez – fezzes

If the regular noun ends in -f, fe, change it to ve, then add -s. For example:

• Wife – wives
• Knife – knives

Another regular plural noun rule is to change -y into -ies. For example:

• City – cities
• Puppy – puppies

But if the letter before -y is a vowel, just add an -s. For example:

• Ray – rays
• Toy – toys

Singular nouns that end in -us will change into -i for their plural forms. For example:

• Cactus – cacti

Change the word into -es if the singular noun ends in -is. For example:

• Analysis – analyses
• Parenthesis – parentheses

If the singular noun ends in -on, change it into -a. For example:

• Phenomenon – phenomena

Check out this list of regular plural nouns.

• Boss – bosses
• Candy – candies
• Gift – gifts
• Curry – curries
• Day – days
• Collection – collections
• Movie – movies
• Tray – trays
• Shoe – shoes

What Is an Irregular Plural Noun?

Irregular noun rules are inconsistent because they follow no specific guidelines. For example, the irregular plural noun form of child is children, and goose’s plural form is geese. Here are more examples.

• Man – men
• Foot – feet
• Mouse – mice
• Person – people

Another tip when using irregular nouns is recognizing that some are identical to their singular noun counterparts. They can be troublesome nouns because it takes memorization to identify these words. Here are some examples:

• Fish – fish
• Moose – moose
• Species – species
• Sheep – sheep
• Deer – deer

Below is a list of irregular plural nouns.

• Woman – women
• Aircraft – aircraft
• Means – means
• Trout – trout
• Swine – swine
• Salmon – salmon
• Spacecraft – spacecraft
• Series – series
• Louse – lice
• Penny – pence
• Caveman – cavemen
• Policeman – policemen
• Alumna – alumnae
• Formula – formulae
• Index – indices
• Appendix – appendices
• Vertex – vertices
• Axis – axes
• Addendum – addenda
• Datum – data
• Forum – fora
• Genus – genera
• Stylus – styli

Summarizing English Plural Nouns

This article has taught you the plural nouns’ definition. This type of noun refers to more than one person, animal, place, idea, animal, or thing.

Remember that the plural form of nouns depends on their singular noun versions. For example, toy becomes toys, but knife becomes knives. Louse becomes lice, and sheep stays the same.

Grammarist is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. When you buy via the links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no cost to you.

2024 © Grammarist, a Found First Marketing company. All rights reserved.

• Cambridge Dictionary +Plus

Meaning of assignment in English

Your browser doesn't support HTML5 audio

• It was a jammy assignment - more of a holiday really.
• He took this award-winning photograph while on assignment in the Middle East .
• His two-year assignment to the Mexico office starts in September .
• She first visited Norway on assignment for the winter Olympics ten years ago.
• He fell in love with the area after being there on assignment for National Geographic in the 1950s.
• act as something
• all work and no play (makes Jack a dull boy) idiom
• be at work idiom
• be in work idiom
• housekeeping
• in the line of duty idiom
• join duty idiom

You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:

assignment | American Dictionary

Assignment | business english, examples of assignment, collocations with assignment.

These are words often used in combination with assignment .

Click on a collocation to see more examples of it.

Translations of assignment

Get a quick, free translation!

Word of the Day

compassionate grounds

a reason, especially in law, to allow someone to do something out of sympathy for their suffering

Simply the best! (Ways to describe the best)

Learn more with +Plus

• Recent and Recommended {{#preferredDictionaries}} {{name}} {{/preferredDictionaries}}
• Definitions Clear explanations of natural written and spoken English English Learner’s Dictionary Essential British English Essential American English
• Grammar and thesaurus Usage explanations of natural written and spoken English Grammar Thesaurus
• Pronunciation British and American pronunciations with audio English Pronunciation
• English–Chinese (Simplified) Chinese (Simplified)–English
• English–Chinese (Traditional) Chinese (Traditional)–English
• English–Dutch Dutch–English
• English–French French–English
• English–German German–English
• English–Indonesian Indonesian–English
• English–Italian Italian–English
• English–Japanese Japanese–English
• English–Norwegian Norwegian–English
• English–Polish Polish–English
• English–Portuguese Portuguese–English
• English–Spanish Spanish–English
• English–Swedish Swedish–English
• Dictionary +Plus Word Lists
• on assignment
• American    Noun
• Collocations
• Translations
• All translations

To add assignment to a word list please sign up or log in.

Add assignment to one of your lists below, or create a new one.

{{message}}

Something went wrong.

There was a problem sending your report.

Look up a word, learn it forever.

/əˈsaɪnmənt/.

Other forms: assignments

Whether you’re an international spy with a new mission or a high school student with math homework — when you get an assignment , you’d better do it! An assignment is a task that someone in authority has asked you to do.

The word assignment is just the noun form of the common verb assign , which you use when you want to give someone a duty or a job. When you assign something, that something is called an assignment . The word can also refer to the act of distributing something. If you are distributing new office furniture at work, you might say, “ Assignment of the new chairs will begin tomorrow.”

• noun an undertaking that you have been assigned to do (as by an instructor) see more see less types: show 6 types... hide 6 types... school assignment , schoolwork a school task performed by a student to satisfy the teacher writing assignment , written assignment an assignment to write something classroom project a school task requiring considerable effort classwork the part of a student's work that is done in the classroom homework , prep , preparation preparatory school work done outside school (especially at home) lesson a task assigned for individual study type of: labor , project , task , undertaking any piece of work that is undertaken or attempted
• noun a duty that you are assigned to perform (especially in the armed forces) “a hazardous assignment ” synonyms: duty assignment see more see less types: show 10 types... hide 10 types... guard , guard duty , sentry duty , sentry go the duty of serving as a sentry fatigue , fatigue duty labor of a nonmilitary kind done by soldiers (cleaning or digging or draining or so on) charge , commission , mission a special assignment that is given to a person or group reassignment assignment to a different duty sea-duty , service abroad , shipboard duty naval service aboard a ship at sea shore duty naval service at land bases fool's errand a fruitless mission mission impossible an extremely dangerous or difficult mission martyr operation , sacrifice operation , suicide mission killing or injuring others while annihilating yourself; usually accomplished with a bomb secondment the detachment of a person from their regular organization for temporary assignment elsewhere type of: duty work that you are obliged to perform for moral or legal reasons
• noun the act of putting a person into a non-elective position synonyms: appointment , designation , naming see more see less types: show 6 types... hide 6 types... nomination the act of officially naming a candidate co-optation , co-option the act of appointing summarily (with or without the appointee's consent) delegacy the appointment of a delegate ordinance , ordination the act of ordaining; the act of conferring (or receiving) holy orders recognition designation by the chair granting a person the right to speak in a deliberative body laying on of hands laying hands on a person's head to invoke spiritual blessing in Christian ordination type of: conclusion , decision , determination the act of making up your mind about something
• noun the act of distributing something to designated places or persons “the first task is the assignment of an address to each datum” synonyms: assigning see more see less types: allocation , storage allocation (computer science) the assignment of particular areas of a magnetic disk to particular data or instructions type of: distribution the act of distributing or spreading or apportioning
• noun (law) a transfer of property by deed of conveyance synonyms: grant see more see less types: apanage , appanage a grant (by a sovereign or a legislative body) of resources to maintain a dependent member of a ruling family land grant a grant of public land (as to a railway or college) type of: transferred possession , transferred property a possession whose ownership changes or lapses
• noun the instrument by which a claim or right or interest or property is transferred from one person to another see more see less type of: instrument , legal document , legal instrument , official document (law) a document that states some contractual relationship or grants some right

Vocabulary lists containing assignment

The Dawes Act, or General Allotment Act of 1887, was a law that allowed the U.S. government to take Native American tribal lands and divide them into 40 acre lots for individual Native Americans. The goal was to break up communal tribal lands and speed the assimilation of Native Americans into American society. The Dawes Act caused great suffering with much of the land winding up in the hands of white settlers.

Learn these words from the autobiography by David Lubar (Inside: Level B, Unit 4). Here are our links to the selections of "Every Body Is a Winner": The Human Machine; My Fabulous Footprint , The Beat Goes On; All Pumped Up , Two Left Feet, Two Left Hands , How Coach Told Me; Bionics Here are our links to the units of Level B: Unit 1 , Unit 2 , Unit 3 , Unit 4 , Unit 5 , Unit 6 , Unit 7 , Unit 8 Here are our links to the Inside books: Level A , Level B , Level C Here is our link to a list of academic vocabulary for Inside: Academic Vocabulary

Prepare for the IELTS exam with this list of words related to education and academics.

Sign up now (it’s free!)

Whether you’re a teacher or a learner, vocabulary.com can put you or your class on the path to systematic vocabulary improvement..

Assignment Plural, What is the plural of Assignment?

Meaning of Assignment

The meaning of ASSIGNMENT is: a task or piece of work assigned to someone as part of a job or course of study.

Singular and Plural of Assignment

The plural of Assignment is assignments.

Assignment as a Singular Noun in Example Sentences:

• The teacher handed out a challenging assignment to the students.
• The assignment required extensive research and analysis.
• The student completed the math assignment before the deadline.
• The assignment involved writing a persuasive essay on a current issue.
• The professor provided detailed instructions for the biology assignment .
• The assignment accounted for a significant portion of the final grade.
• The student asked for clarification on the assignment requirements.
• The assignment pushed the students to think critically and problem-solve.
• The writer submitted the final draft of their creative writing assignment .
• The assignment challenged the student’s creativity and innovative thinking.

Assignment as a Plural Noun in Example Sentences:

• The teacher handed out challenging assignments to the students.
• The assignments required extensive research and analysis.
• The students completed their math assignments before the deadline.
• The assignments involved writing persuasive essays on current issues.
• The professors provided detailed instructions for the biology assignments .
• The assignments accounted for a significant portion of the final grades.
• The students asked for clarification on the assignment requirements.
• The assignments pushed the students to think critically and problem-solve.
• The writers submitted the final drafts of their creative writing assignments .
• The assignments challenged the students’ creativity and innovative thinking.

Singular Possessive of Assignment 

The singular possessive form of “Assignment” is “Assignment’s”. 

Examples of Singular Possessive Form of Assignment:

• The professor reviewed the assignment’s requirements.
• The student worked diligently on the assignment’s research component.
• The teacher graded the assignment’s structure and clarity.
• The deadline for the assignment’s submission is tomorrow.
• The group divided the assignment’s tasks among its members.
• The writer carefully revised the assignment’s introduction.
• The tutor provided guidance on the assignment’s main argument.
• The student took notes during the assignment’s presentation.
• The peer reviewed the assignment’s grammar and punctuation.
• The professor emphasized the importance of the assignment’s thesis statement.

Plural Possessive of Assignment 

The plural possessive form of “Assignment” is “Assignments'”. 

Examples of Plural Possessive Form of Assignment:

• The teacher collected the students’ assignments’ final drafts.
• The company reviewed the employees’ assignments’ progress reports.
• The group discussed the team members’ assignments’ individual contributions.
• The researchers analyzed the data from the participants’ assignments’ responses.
• The committee evaluated the writers’ assignments’ creativity and originality.
• The manager reviewed the employees’ assignments’ completed tasks.
• The professor provided feedback on the students’ assignments’ formatting.
• The team discussed the timeline for the project’s assignments’ completion.
• The school distributed the students’ assignments’ grades and feedback.
• The department acknowledged the staff’s assignments’ thoroughness and accuracy.

Explore Related Nouns:

• Complete List of Singular Plurals
• abbreviation

Related Posts

Night Plural, What is the Plural of Night?

Spectrum Plural, What is the Plural of Spectrum?

Dad Plural, What is the Plural of Dad?

Practice Plural, What is the Plural of Practice?

Watermelon Plural, What is the Plural of Watermelon?

Vocabulary Plural, What is the Plural of Vocabulary?

About the author.

Hi, I'm USMI, engdic.org's Author & Lifestyle Linguist. My decade-long journey in language and lifestyle curation fuels my passion for weaving words into everyday life. Join me in exploring the dynamic interplay between English and our diverse lifestyles. Dive into my latest insights, where language enriches every aspect of living.

The Editor’s Manual

Free learning resource on English grammar, punctuation, usage, and style.

Plurals of Names and Other Proper Nouns

Form the plural of a given or a family name by adding s . If the name ends in a sibilant sound (like s , x , z ), add es instead.

• There are two Johns , three Nancys , and four Agneses in my class.
• Are the Smiths here yet?
• The Joneses live next door to the Murrays .

Avoid using an apostrophe to form a plural.

• Poor: The Johnson’s and the Garcia’s are old family friends. Better: The Johnsons and the Garcias are old family friends.

Don’t add es or ies to given or family names ending in vowels or those ending in y ; simply add s .

• Incorrect: We have invited the Castilloes and Murphies to dinner. Correct: We have invited the Castillos and Murphys to dinner.

To form the possessive of a plural name, add an apostrophe after—not before—the s that forms the plural.

• Incorrect: Is that the Brown’s car parked in your driveway? Correct: Is that the Browns’ car parked in your driveway?

The general rule

Add s or es without an apostrophe to form the plural of a name or other proper noun .

• Both Jacks are guitarists, and both Jills are drummers.
• We have three Ryans , two Janes , and three Jennys in the family.
• The Williamses and Perezes are neighbors.
• Do the Danbys still live here?
• The Patels and the Smiths are on holiday together in Portugal.
• The Rousseaus and Mendozas are old family friends.

People’s names are proper nouns and do not have a dictionary-defined plural form. There are, however, accepted style guidelines on how to form plurals of names. In this article, we discuss how to pluralize given and last names in English, along with some exceptions.

Use of apostrophe

In general, don’t use an apostrophe to form the plural of a name.

• Incorrect: The Garcia’s have moved to Seattle. Correct: The Garcias have moved to Seattle.
• Incorrect: The Murphy’s and the Murray’s have always lived next door to each other. Correct: The Murphys and the Murrays have always lived next door to each other.
• Incorrect: Nobody cares anymore about keeping up with the Jones’s . Correct: Nobody cares anymore about keeping up with the Joneses .
• Incorrect: We have invited the Smith’s and the Ali’s over for dinner. Correct: We have invited the Smiths and the Alis over for dinner.
• Incorrect: There were two Lucy’s , three Anita’s , and four Mitch’s on board the ship. Correct: There were two Lucys , three Anitas , and four Mitches on board the ship.

With names ending in vowels, an apostrophe can sometimes help avoid confusion or improve readability.

• We have two Denise’s and two Denises in our hiking group. Use an apostrophe to distinguish between the plurals of the names “Denise” and “Denis.”
• We have two Mary’s and two Maryses in the family already. The apostrophe helps avoid confusion between the names “Mary” and “Marys.”

Such sentences are often better reworded.

Use an apostrophe to form the plural of a name only if not using one would result in confusion.

Names ending in s and other sibilants

Add es without an apostrophe to form the plural of a name ending in s , x , z , and other sibilants like ch , sh , and j .

• The Harrises live next door to the Diazes .
• The Hendrixes’ cat is in our window.
• The Walshes and the Williamses run a soup kitchen downtown.
• We have two Alexes , two Nikolajes , two Mitches , and three Inezes in the family.
• Neither of the Charleses I know is a prince.

Add es , not ses , to form the plural of a name ending in s .

• Incorrect: The Harrisses live in California. Correct: The Harrises live in California.
• Incorrect: Both Thomasses are writers. Correct: Both Thomases are writers.

Don’t use an apostrophe to form the plural of a name ending in s , x , z , and other sibilant sounds.

• Incorrect: The Jones’s are selling their house. Correct: The Joneses are selling their house.
• Incorrect: The Lopez’s have adopted a dog from the local shelter. Correct: The Lopezes have adopted a dog from the local shelter.

Names ending in vowels

Add s to form the plural of a name ending in a vowel ( a , e , i , o , u ). Avoid using an apostrophe before the s .

• We have two Ritas , three Janes , and two Lulus in class this year.
• Have the Bianchis been informed?
• Did you ask the Russos about it?

Don’t add es to form the plural; add just s , even for names that end in i or o .

• Incorrect: You know the Rossies better than I. Correct: You know the Rossis better than I.
• Incorrect: Both Pabloes are guitarists. Correct: Both Pablos are guitarists.

Very rarely, plurals of names ending in vowels like a or i can benefit from the use of an apostrophe , which can aid with pronunciation and also improve clarity. But use an apostrophe to form the plural of a name only when not using one could result in confusion.

• Both Luca’s are artists, and both Lucases are writers. The apostrophe helps distinguish the plural of “Luca” from the name “Lucas.”

Names ending in y

To form the plural of a name ending in y , simply add s after the y , without an apostrophe.

• They have four Dannys and three Marys in the family. not Dannies or Maries
• My aunts were obsessed with the Kennedys . not the Kennedies
• The Dalys come from Howth, while the Murphys are from Drogheda.

To form the plural of a name ending in y , don’t change the y to ies ; simply add s .

• Incorrect: The Murphies have opened a new store downtown. Correct: The Murphys have opened a new store downtown.
• Incorrect: Both Harries are princes. Correct: Both Harrys are princes.

Names ending in other consonants

Simply add s without an apostrophe to pluralize given or last names ending in consonants other than s or other sibilants.

• The Jacks and the Jills are busy fetching water.
• The Singhs have bought a new car.
• He and the Johnsons work together at the store.
• The Smiths and the Millers are neighbors.
• They live next door to the Nguyens .

Plurals of other proper nouns

Plurals of other proper nouns (such as names of brands, businesses, countries, and regions) are formed the same way as plurals of people’s names: by adding s or es .

• The Americas can be roughly divided into two major cultural regions. — “Americas,” Encyclopaedia Britannica (Accessed June 13, 2022)
• He found that even small departments and universities were buying top-of-the-range Audis , BMWs and Mercedes Benzes . — “Russians Tire of Corruption Spectacle,” BBC News (Mar. 6, 2012)
• The vast data centers that process information for the Facebooks and Amazons of the Web work at a brisk clip. — “A Wireless Way around Data Traffic Jams,” New York Times (Jan. 14, 2012)
• I think there are many interesting stories to be told of the two Germanys . — “Germans Fascinated by Life on Either Side of Berlin Wall,” Guardian (Feb. 14, 2015)
• It’s competing against the General Motorses and the General Electrics of the world. — “Red Ink,” PBS (transcript, Feb. 19, 2004)
• Conflicts of interest . . . are everyday occurrences for the Morgan Stanleys and Goldman Sachses of the world. — “Can There Be Investment Banks Without Conflicts?” Harvard Business Review (Feb. 5, 2010)
• They prefer to call themselves ‘financial services companies,’ just like the American Expresses and the Merrill Lynches . — “A Bank, by Any Other Name . . .,” New York Times (Dec. 27, 1981)

Possessives of plural names

To form the possessive of a plural name, place an apostrophe after the s that indicates the plural. For example, to refer to the Smith family, add s to the name ( the Smiths ), then place an apostrophe after the final s to form the possessive ( the Smiths’ car ). Here are some more examples.

• Is that the Garcias’ cat?
• For many, the Jacksons’ music defined the eighties.
• The Millers’ story is similar to the Joneses’ .

To form a possessive, never insert an apostrophe before the s that forms the plural; always add one after.

• Incorrect: the Wilson’s car Correct: the Wilsons’ car

Be careful with names that end in s and other sibilants. Form the possessive by placing an apostrophe after the final s .

• Incorrect: Is that the Roberts’ dog eating all your roses? The plural of the surname “Roberts” is “Robertses.” Form the plural, and then add an apostrophe. Correct: Is that the Robertses’ dog eating all your roses?
• Incorrect: The Martinez’s bookstore has shut down. Correct: The Martinezes’ bookstore has shut down.

Similarly, with names that end in vowels, remember to place an apostrophe after—not before—the s that forms the plural.

• Incorrect: I’ve lost the Moore’s invitation. Correct: I’ve lost the Moores’ invitation.
• Incorrect: The Mendoza’s garden party is tomorrow. Correct: The Mendozas’ garden party is tomorrow.

Examples from published content

Here are some examples from literature and other published content that show how names are pluralized. Note how s is generally used to form the plural, except when a name ends in a sibilant sound, when es is used instead. Also note the absence of apostrophes in the plural forms shown below.

• Peeping through the meshes of the hammock, he saw the Marches coming out, as if bound on some expedition. — Louisa May Alcott , Little Women (1868)
• That the Miss Lucases and the Miss Bennets should meet to talk over a ball was absolutely necessary. — Jane Austen , Pride and Prejudice (1813)
• I maintain that the Ewells started it all. — Harper Lee , To Kill a Mockingbird (1960)
• It would be no less unreasonable if ‘Tender is the Night’ were known primarily as a novel inspired by the Murphys . — “Books of the Times,” New York Times (June 25, 1971)
• You can try the same with all the Harrys , Harrises and Harrisons . Some might even want to add in all the Henrys as well. — “Baby Names: Peaky Blinders ‘May Have Inspired’ Choices,” BBC Culture (Aug. 29, 2019)
• To be fair, all Annas are doomed to fade in the lingering light of Garbo. — “Goings On about Town,” New Yorker (Accessed June 17, 2022)

Usage guide

In general, form the plural of a given or a last name by adding s ( two Alices in the family , the Smiths , the Garcias ). For names ending in y , simply add s , not ies ( the Duffys , the Murphys ). If the name ends in a sibilant like s , z , or x , add es instead ( the Williamses , the Perezes ). Don’t use an apostrophe to form the plural of a name, except when not using one would result in confusion. Finally, be careful with forming possessives of plural names : always place an apostrophe after the final s ( the Woods’ cat , the Joneses’ car ).

Share this article

Avoid using an apostrophe to form the plural of a name.

Form the plural of a name ending in a sibilant sound (like s , z , x ) by adding es instead of s , without an apostrophe.

Avoid using an apostrophe to form the plural of a name, even if it ends in a vowel.

To form the plural of a name ending in y , simply add s .

To form a plural possessive, form the plural of a name, and then place an apostrophe after the final s .

• Dictionaries home
• American English
• Collocations
• German-English
• Grammar home
• Practical English Usage
• Learn & Practise Grammar (Beta)
• Word Lists home
• My Word Lists
• Recent additions
• Resources home
• Text Checker

Definition of assign verb from the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary

Questions about grammar and vocabulary?

Find the answers with Practical English Usage online, your indispensable guide to problems in English.

• 3 [ usually passive ] assign somebody to somebody/something to send a person to work under the authority of someone or in a particular group I was assigned to B platoon.
• 4 to say that something has a particular value or function, or happens at a particular time or place assign something to something Assign a different color to each different type of information. assign something sth The painting cannot be assigned an exact date.
• 5 assign something to somebody ( law ) to say that your property or rights now belong to someone else The agreement assigns copyright to the publisher. She has assigned the lease to her daughter.

Nearby words

Online Language Dictionaries

'; audChoice = audChoice.replace(/ selected=["']selected["']/gm, '');var audT = document.getElementById('audT');if ((audT) && (audPref)) { //Parse the content if(audPref.indexOf(':') > -1) { var audPrefAccent = audPref.split(':')[0]; var playbackRate = audPref.split(':')[1]; } else { var audPrefAccent = audPref; var playbackRate = 1; } var re = new RegExp('( UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations/əˈsaɪnmənt/US:USA pronunciation: IPA and respellingUSA pronunciation: IPA/əˈsaɪnmənt/ ,USA pronunciation: respelling(ə sīn mənt) | | | | | | | WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2024 as•sign•ment      n. [ ] WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2024 as•sign•ment   mənt),USA pronunciation n.  See assign, -ment 1350–1400 obligation, job. See    /əˈsaɪnmənt/ n ' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations): - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - , , , , , , , , a [position, work] assignment, is on [a special, an undercover] assignment, was [given, sent on] a special assignment, Forum discussions with the word(s) "assignment" in the title: Go to page and choose from different actions for taps or mouse clicks. In other languages: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

Advertisements Advertisements use for the fastest search of WordReference. © 2024 WordReference.com any problems. Create account Contributions assign  +  -ment Pronunciation ( US ) IPA ( key ) : /əˈsʌɪnm(ə)nt/ Audio (US) ( ) ( countable ) An assignment is a task that is given to somebody for them to complete . The teacher gave Joe an assignment to complete while he is away on vacation. Related words Terms suffixed with -ment Countable nouns Unexpected parameter in audio template Toggle limited content width Synonyms of assignment as in lesson as in appointment More from M-W To save this word, you'll need to log in. Log In Thesaurus Definition of assignment Synonyms & Similar Words responsibility undertaking requirement designation appointment authorization installment installation destination emplacement investiture singling (out) Antonyms & Near Antonyms dethronement Synonym Chooser How does the noun assignment contrast with its synonyms? Some common synonyms of assignment are chore , duty , job , stint , and task . While all these words mean "a piece of work to be done," assignment implies a definite limited task assigned by one in authority. When is it sensible to use chore instead of assignment ? While the synonyms chore and assignment are close in meaning, chore implies a minor routine activity necessary for maintaining a household or farm. When is duty a more appropriate choice than assignment ? Although the words duty and assignment have much in common, duty implies an obligation to perform or responsibility for performance. When might job be a better fit than assignment ? The synonyms job and assignment are sometimes interchangeable, but job applies to a piece of work voluntarily performed; it may sometimes suggest difficulty or importance. When could stint be used to replace assignment ? In some situations, the words stint and assignment are roughly equivalent. However, stint implies a carefully allotted or measured quantity of assigned work or service. When can task be used instead of assignment ? The meanings of task and assignment largely overlap; however, task implies work imposed by a person in authority or an employer or by circumstance. Examples of assignment in a Sentence These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'assignment.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples. Thesaurus Entries Near assignment assignments Cite this Entry “Assignment.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/assignment. Accessed 21 Aug. 2024. More from Merriam-Webster on assignment Nglish: Translation of assignment for Spanish Speakers Britannica English: Translation of assignment for Arabic Speakers Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free! Can you solve 4 words at once? Word of the day. See Definitions and Examples » Get Word of the Day daily email! Popular in Grammar & Usage Plural and possessive names: a guide, 31 useful rhetorical devices, more commonly misspelled words, absent letters that are heard anyway, how to use accents and diacritical marks, popular in wordplay, 8 words for lesser-known musical instruments, it's a scorcher words for the summer heat, 7 shakespearean insults to make life more interesting, 10 words from taylor swift songs (merriam's version), 9 superb owl words, games & quizzes. Skip to main content Keyboard shortcuts for audio player The Harris-Walz campaign is confusing grammar nerds everywhere David Folkenflik What's the rule for making a name ending in 's' possessive, or plural possessive? NPR's David Folkenflik talks with grammarian Ellen Jovin, who's watched the confusion over the Harris-Walz ticket. Copyright © 2024 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information. NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record. The Long Run A Vice Presidential Learning Curve: How Kamala Harris Picked Her Shots As President Biden’s understudy, Ms. Harris did not often get to lead on signature issues. But she found roles to play on abortion rights, gun safety and a Supreme Court appointment. Credit... Erin Schaff/The New York Times Supported by Share full article By Peter Baker and Zolan Kanno-Youngs Peter Baker and Zolan Kanno-Youngs are White House reporters who have covered Kamala Harris for nearly four years and traveled with her to Europe, Asia, Africa and across the United States. Aug. 18, 2024 When a draft of a blockbuster Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade leaked in 2022 , Vice President Kamala Harris met with Ron Klain, then the White House chief of staff, in her West Wing office. He had an idea: She should lead a new task force on abortion rights. She seemed uncertain. “Why?” she asked. “We need a real leader, and you’re the leader,” Mr. Klain responded. Ms. Harris asked for time to think about it. She did not want to just give a speech without substance. And she had spent much of the previous year and a half trying to avoid being typecast as the first female vice president. But as the White House began mapping out executive actions to defend access to abortion, she began to see the possibilities and accepted the role. It was a moment that captured the essence of the Harris vice presidency. Deliberate and disciplined, cautious and at times risk averse, she saw trapdoors around her and wanted to avoid them. She considered herself a team player, but could not always be sure the team had her best interests at heart. She gravitated to issues on which she thought she could make a difference without upstaging President Biden, but was rarely promoted as a critical player in the administration. The court’s Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision eliminating a constitutional right to abortion proved to be an issue on which Ms. Harris could take the lead, one that Mr. Biden, a churchgoing Catholic, did not feel as comfortable addressing. She found her voice as the administration’s champion of abortion rights , changing some minds among Democrats who had harbored doubts about her. And she paved the way to the moment when she will accept her party’s nomination for president this week. Ms. Harris’s record as vice president is complex, as described in interviews with dozens of current and former administration officials and allies, some of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity to avoid alienating her or the president. She has done the dutiful things she has been asked to do. She led a labor task force and a gun safety office. She traveled to places the president had no time to visit. She has been sent to deliver private messages to the leaders of Poland and Germany and to break key tie votes in the Senate. We are having trouble retrieving the article content. Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings. Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and  log into  your Times account, or  subscribe  for all of The Times. Thank you for your patience while we verify access. Already a subscriber?  Log in . Want all of The Times?  Subscribe . Advertisement 302 IMAGES Singular and Plural 8 Plural Noun Rules Regular & Irregular Plural Nouns: How to Make Plurals in English? Plural Nouns Regular Irregular Plural noun worksheet Plural & Irregular Plural Nouns Worksheets COMMENTS What is the plural of assignment Answer. The noun assignment can be countable or uncountable. In more general, commonly used, contexts, the plural form will also be assignment . However, in more specific contexts, the plural form can also be assignments e.g. in reference to various types of assignments or a collection of assignments. Find more words! Assignment Definition & Meaning The meaning of ASSIGNMENT is the act of assigning something. How to use assignment in a sentence. Synonym Discussion of Assignment. ASSIGNMENT ASSIGNMENT meaning: 1. a piece of work given to someone, typically as part of their studies or job: 2. a job that…. Learn more. assignment Definition of assignment noun in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more. ASSIGNMENT definition and meaning 7 meanings: 1. something that has been assigned, such as a mission or task 2. a position or post to which a person is assigned.... Click for more definitions. assignment Noun [ edit] assignment ( countable and uncountable, plural assignments) English Wikipedia has an article on: homework assignment English Wikipedia has an article on: sex assignment English Wikipedia has an article on: assignment (computer science) ASSIGNMENT ASSIGNMENT definition: a piece of work or job that you are given to do: . Learn more. assignment assignment meaning, definition, what is assignment: a piece of work that is given to someone...: Learn more. Assignment Definition & Meaning assignment 1 ENTRIES FOUND: assignment (noun) assignment /ə ˈ saɪnmənt/ noun plural assignments Britannica Dictionary definition of ASSIGNMENT 1 : a job or duty that is given to someone : a task someone is required to do [count] What Does Assignation or assignment Mean? Definition & Examples An assignment is a task given to a specific person or group to complete. It can also mean the act of assigning. In some legal fields it can refer to the transferring of ownership of property. An assignation is the act of assigning or the actual assignment. But it also means a secret rendezvous for lovers, most especially for affairs or illicit ... Plural Nouns Did you know that there's more than one rule on how to make a word plural? In my little guide, I'll show you the two types of plural nouns, their rules, and a list of examples. I also provided a worksheet that will test your understanding of plural nouns. ASSIGNMENT Definition & Meaning Assignment definition: something assigned, as a particular task or duty. See examples of ASSIGNMENT used in a sentence. ASSIGNMENT ASSIGNMENT definition: 1. a piece of work given to someone, typically as part of their studies or job: 2. a job that…. Learn more. Assignment assignment: 1 n an undertaking that you have been assigned to do (as by an instructor) Types: show 6 types... hide 6 types... school assignment , schoolwork a school task performed by a student to satisfy the teacher writing assignment , written assignment an assignment to write something classroom project a school task requiring considerable ... assignment noun Definition of assignment noun in Oxford Advanced American Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more. Assignment Plural, What is the plural of Assignment? Meaning of Assignment The meaning of ASSIGNMENT is: a task or piece of work assigned to someone as part of a job or course of study. Singular and Plural of Assignment The plural of Assignment is assignments. Singular Plural Assignment Assignments Assignment as a Singular Noun in Example Sentences: The teacher handed out a challenging assignment to the students. The assignment required ... How to Form Plurals of Names People's names are proper nouns and do not have a dictionary-defined plural form. There are, however, accepted style guidelines on how to form plurals of names. In this article, we discuss how to pluralize given and last names in English, along with some exceptions. assign verb Definition of assign verb in Oxford Advanced American Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more. assignment assignment - WordReference English dictionary, questions, discussion and forums. All Free. Assignment Definition & Meaning Assignment Sentence Examples Ikir sent me on assignment to spy on him. Darian hoped his excitement at the assignment didn't show. For reasons he couldn't explain, Tim's assignment irritated him. True to my assignment, I recorded movements and time until Quinn's voice from below broke the silence. The Ecclesiastical Commissioners Act 1840, § 42, provides that no spiritual person may sell or ... assignment ( countable) An assignment is a task that is given to somebody for them to complete . The teacher gave Joe an assignment to complete while he is away on vacation. ASSIGNMENT definition in American English assignment in American English. (əˈsainmənt) noun. 1. something assigned, as a particular task or duty. She completed the assignment and went on to other jobs. 2. a position of responsibility, post of duty, or the like, to which one is appointed. He left for his assignment in the Middle East. ASSIGNMENT Synonyms: 97 Similar and Opposite Words Synonyms for ASSIGNMENT: task, job, duty, project, mission, chore, responsibility, function; Antonyms of ASSIGNMENT: dismissal, discharge, firing, expulsion ... The Harris-Walz campaign is confusing grammar nerds everywhere What's the rule for making a name ending in 's' possessive, or plural possessive? NPR's David Folkenflik talks with grammarian Ellen Jovin, who's watched the confusion over the Harris-Walz ticket. How Kamala Harris Made Her Mark as Vice President As President Biden's understudy, Ms. Harris did not often get to lead on signature issues. But she found roles to play on abortion rights, gun safety and a Supreme Court appointment. assignment essay homework paper phd report resume review speech thesis